Though the office of the Project Engineer, Police Project, Chumukedima, which was locked by irate local contractors Tuesday afternoon, reportedly resumed functioning Wednesday, the Nagaland Contractors and Suppliers Union (NCSU) decried the alleged ill treatment meted out to local contractors by the Home department.
“We don’t want anything but equal treatment by the State government,” said NCSU president Pele Kezhie, while reacting to Tuesday’s incident where some irate members of the union locked the office of Project Engineer, in protest against alleged partially shown to non-local contractors by the State government in payment of bills relating to construction of 9 IRB headquarters, Saijang.
“NCSU fully supports the aggrieved members of the union,” he said.
A member of NCSU Pusazo Luruo Tuesday told Nagaland that on Monday last, the Finance Department had given clearance for payment of Rs. 24.10 crore to contractors of the Saijang project.
However, in complete disregard to local contractors, the Home Department had directed the engineer concern to give the whole amount (Rs. 24.10 crore) to M/s Mohan Singh & Co., Luruo said.
“If government released bill of Rs 24.10 crore relating to construction work of 9 IRB headquarter at Saijang, atleast a portion should have been given to local contractors during this festive season,” Kezhie said.
NCSU president also hit out at the continuing practice of the government in denying local contractors cost escalation, which was applicable in the case of non-local contractors.
According to official sources, the Home Department took the decision to pay the contract bill to M/s Mohan Singh & Co. so as to avoid cost escalation.
NCSU said the release of bill to the tune of Rs 24.10 crore to M/s Mohan Singh & Co. by came at a time when the NCSU was demanding the government to release the remaining Rs. 8.5 crore, which was pending for the last many years, to the local contractors. The union further lambasted the State government for continuing to defy and violate its own standing order by awarding contract to non-local contractors/firms not registered with the NCSU.
It may be mentioned the State government had earlier issued three standing orders stating that government contract works would be awarded only to those firms or contractor registered with NCSU.